The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, is significant for human rights as it marked the beginning of constitutional governance and the idea that everyone, including the king, is subject to the law. It laid the groundwork for the protection of individual rights against arbitrary authority. The principles established in the Magna Carta, such as due process and the right to a fair trial, influenced later human rights documents, including the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, promoting the notion of personal liberty and legal accountability, which are central to democratic societies today.